


/13 



/*? 



/5 



Constitution 



OF THE 



Naval Order of the United States 



ORGANIZED JULY 4, 1890 



ISSUED BY ORDER OF THE 

General Commandery 
1913 









%M. (^Jb-v(^KX^A^.j.,.j3L>^ ^Yk-W^ 



'h\h l(o 'X^ 



Preamble 



Whereas, Many of the principal battles and famous victories of 
the several wars in which the United States has participated were 
fought and achieved by the Naval forces; 

Whereas, It is well and fitting that the illustrious deeds of the 
great Naval commanders, their companion officers in arms and 
their subordinates in the wars of the United States should be for- 
ever honored and respected; 

Therefore, Entertaining the most exalted admiration for the 
undying achievements of the Navy, we, the survivors and des- 
cendants of participants of those memorable conflicts, have joined 
ourselves together and have instituted the "Naval Order of the 
United States," that we may transmit to our latest posterity their 
glorious names and memories; and to encourage research and pub- 
lication of data pertaining to Naval art and science, and to estab- 
lish libraries in which to preserve all documents, rolls, books, por- 
traits and relics relating to the Navy and its heroes at all times. 



Constitution 



Adopted in Special Congress, August IS, 1893. Amended in 
Triennial Congress as follows: October 5, 1895; February 9, 1899; 
October 5, 1904; October 5, 1907. 

ARTICLE I. 

TITLE. 

This institution shall be known by the name, style and title of 
the "Naval Order of the United States." 

ARTICLE II. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The constituted bodies of this Order shall be designated as 
Commanderies, and shall consist of — 

A General Commandery, to be known as the "General Com- 
mandery of the Naval Order of the United States." 

State Commanderies to be known as the " Com- 
mandery of the Naval Order of the United States." 

ARTICLE III. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

The following shall be eligible to membership: Commissioned 
officers of the Navy and of the Marine Corps of the United States, 
whether of the regular or volunteer service, graduates of the Naval 
Academy, and commissioned officers of the Revenue Marine Ser- 
vice who have served under the orders of the Navy Department 
in time of war; and all persons who have held any such commis- 
sino under the authority of any of the thirteen original Colonies or 
States, or of the Continental Congress, or of the United States. 
Provided, that those who have left the service shall have resi ^ncd 



with honorable record or shall have been honorably discharged. 
And provided further, that no one who shall at any time have 
borne arms against the Government of the United States shall 
be eligible. 

All male descendants over twenty-one years of age of those who 
are eligible as above, or, in default thereof, one collateral repre- 
sentative. 

ARTICLE IV. 

OFFICERS. 

The officers of the General Commandery shall be a General 
Commander, three Vice-General Commanders, a General Re- 
corder, a General Treasurer, a General Registrar, a General 
Historian, an Assistant General Recorder, a General Judge Advo- 
cate, a General Chaplain, and a General Council consisting of nine 
Companions, of which General Council the other officers shall be 
members ex-oficio. They shall be elected triennially. Vacancies 
may, at any time, be filled for the unexpired balance of a term, by 
the General Council. 

The officers of the State Commanderies shall be a Commander, 
a Vice-Commander, a Recorder, a Treasurer, a Registrar, a 
Historian, a Chaplain, and a Council consisting of nine Com- 
panions, of which Council the other officers shall be members ex~ 
officio. They shall be elected annually as hereinafter provided. 

ARTICLE V. 

DUTIES OF OFFICERS. 

Commander. 

The Commander, or in his absence the Vice-Commander, or a 
chairman fro tempore, shall preside at all meetings of the Com- 
mandery and shall exercise the duties of a presiding officer under 
parliamentary rules, subject to an appeal to the Commandery, and 
he shall appoint all Committees. 

He shall have the power to convene special meetings of the Com- 
mandery or of the Council at his discretion, and shall convene the 
Commandery upon written request of ten Companions, and the 
Council upon written request of three of its members. 



Recorder. 

The Recorder shall keep a record of the proceedinj^s'bf the Com- 
mandery and of the Council. 

He shall conduct the general correspondence of the Command- 
ery, and shall keep a record thereof. 

He shall notify all applicants of their election or rejection. 

He shall give due notice of the time and place of all meetings of 
the Commandery and of the Council. 

He shall transmit to the Registrar all applications and proofs of 
eligibility of all persons admitted. 

He, together with the Registrar and Historian, shall have charge 
of all printing and publications directed by the Commandery or 
Council. 

He shall have charge of the seal, certificate of incorporation, 
records, b3Maws and all other documents other than those re- 
quired to be deposited with the Registrar or Historian, 

He, together with the presiding officer, shall certify all acts of 
the Commandery and of the Council, and, when required, authen- 
ticate them under seal. 

Treasurer, 

TheTreasurer shall receive all moneys payable to the Command- 
ery and shall pay out such sums as shall be ordered by the Com- 
mandery or the Council. 

He shall keep a regular account of all receipts and expenditures. 

For the faithful performance of his duty he shall give such se- 
curity as the Council may direct. 

Registrar. 

The Registrar shall receive from the Recorder, file and keep on 
record, all the proofs upon which membership has been granted. 

He shall keep a register of the Companions of the Commandery 
in which shall be recorded every material fact relating to thei 
membership. 

7 



He shall aid and co-operate with the Recorder and Historian in 
all printing and publications directed by the Commandery or 
Council. 

In the absence of the Recorder he shall officiate in his stead. 
Historian. 

The Historian shall keep a complete record of all historical and 
commemorative events of the Commandery. 

He shall, with the aid of the Recorder and Registrar, prepare 
for publication all such documents as the Commandery or Council 
may direct. 

He shall receive donations of documents, rolls, books, portraits 
and relics relating to the Navy, and shall make copies of such 
papers as the owners may not be willing to part v.'ith. 

He shall, at the annual meeting of the Commandery, submit 
carefully prepared obituaries of the deceased Companions, and 
shall keep a record describing as fully as possible their places of 
burial. 

General Judge Advocate. 

The General Judge Advocate shall be the legal adviser of the 
General Commandery and of the Order, and shall perform such 
duties as generally appertain to his office. 

Chaplain. 
The Chaplain shall be an ordained clergyman of a Christian 
church, and shall perform such duties as generally appertain to his 
office. 

Transfer of Rec&r-ds. 

Each officer shall transmit to his respective successor imme- 
diately upon the expiration of his term all records, books, papers 
and other property in his possession belonging to the Commandery 
or relating to its business and affairs. 

Council. 
The Council shall have control of the affairs and funds of the 
Commandery, and the power to call special meetings. 

S 



They sliall have the power to elect apphcants to mcml)cr.ship 
upon a favorable report of the Committee on Membership, and 
to accept the resignation of any enrolled Companion, and may also 
issue to any Companion in good standing upon his removal to 
another State a letter recommending his acceptance to member- 
ship in the Commandery of that State; and, on receipt of official 
notice of his election, he shall be recorded as having been trans- 
ferred. Such letter must be presented within one year from date. 

They shall issue to Companions a Visiting Card, to be ap- 
proved by the General Commandery, to be used when visiting 
the jurisdiction of other Commanderies. 

They may suspend any Companion for just cause, and may re- 
commend to the Commandery the expulsion of an}' Companion 
after due investigation of the charges preferred against him. 

They may direct the Recorder to drop from the roll the name of 
any Companion who shall be at least two years in arrears in the 
payment of his dues and who shall fail on proper notice to pay the 
same within sixty days: Provided^ that a Companion in the Navy 
or Marine Corps in foreign lands or on foreign service, which shall 
include the insular possessions of the United States, shall not be 
dropped until he shall be at least three years in arrears in the pay- 
ment of his dues. 

They may suspend any officer from office for cause, which sus- 
pension must be immediately reported to the Commandery and 
action taken on the same within twenty-one da3's, by which, after 
due investigation and by a two-thirds vote, such suspension may 
be confirmed, or annulled, and the officer restored to his position. 

They may fill all vacancies among the officers amd members of 
the Council. Provided, that the offices of Commander and Re- 
corder shall not be filled by the Council when the Vice-Com- 
mander or Registrar are competent to act. 

They shaU receive nominations for officers and shall prepare 
tickets for voting at the annual meeting of the Commandery, and 
shall at the said meeting present a repfjrt of their proceeding's for 
the past year. 

9 



They shall meet at least quarterl}^, and oftener should it be 
deemed necessary by the Commander. 

The absence of any member of the Council, other than an officer, 
from three consecutive meetings of the same shall be deemed a 
vacation of his membership of the Council; but such absence shall 
be deemed excused unless the Council elect his successor. 

Five Companions shall constitute a quorum for the transaction 
of business. 

ARTICLE VI. 

CONGRESS. 

The triennial Congress of the Order shall be held on the fifth 
day of October and in such place as the triennial Congress next 
preceding may appoint. In the event of failure of the proceding 
Congress to appoint such place, the General Council shall, at least 
six months preceding the Congress, choose and announce the place 
of meeting. The General Council may, for cause shown, change the 
place of meeting when appointed by a Congress. At such trien- 
nial Congress the general officers for the ensuing term shall be 
elected. 

Special Congresses may be called by the General Commander, 
when directed to do so by the General Council, and at such places 
as the General Council shall designate. 

The following shall be members of such triennial or special 
Congresses, and shall be entitled to vote therein: 

1. The General Officers, the Past General Commanders, Past 
Vice-General Commanders, and the Past State Commanders. 

2. Three delegates or their alternates from each State Com- 
mandery. 

3. Ex-officio, the Commander, Vice Commander and Recorder 
of each State Commandery. 

ARTICLE VII. 

GENERAL COMMANDERY. 

The General Commandery shall have the power to authorize 
and constitute a Commandery of the Naval Order of the United 

10 



States in any State or Territory in which no such Commandery 
exists, when formally petitioned to do so by ten or more Com- 
panions of the Order residing in said State or Territory, and on 
receipt of the prescribed charter fee. 

The fee to the General Commandery for chartering a State 
Commandery of the Order shall be twenty-five (325) dollars. 

The Charter of a State Commandery shall be of the form follow- 
ing: 

Naval Order of the United States. 

GENERAL COMMANDERY. 

Be IT KNOWN that Companions 

having made application in proper form for the institution of a Com- 
mandery of the Order in the State of 

and the same being approved, a Commandery is hereby authorized, 

instituted and established, to be known as the 

Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States. 

In testimony whereof, the Seal of the Order is hereunto affixed, and 

the hand of the General Commander, at the day 

of in the year 

thousand hundred and , and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the 

and of the Order the 



Attest: General Commander. 



No General Recorder. 

It shall issue all Diplomas of Membership and the Insignia of 
the Order. 

The General Council shall meet at least semi-annually, and 
oftener should it be deemed necessary by the General Commander. 

11 



ARTICLE VIII. 

STATE COMMANDERIES. 

Each constituted State Commandery of the Order shall regu- 
late its own affairs, and shall have the power to adopt by-laws for 
its own special government: Provided, that the same do not in 
any way conflict with this Constitution, and shall pay annually 
to the Treasurer of the General Commandery a per capita tax of 
fifty cents upon each and every Companion in good standing, as 
reported upon the first day of January of each year; and shall pay 
from each admission fee received after March 1, 1899, the sum of 
one dollar to the use of the General Commandery. 

The stated meetings of the several State Commanderies shall 
be held monthly, unless any Commandery by a two-thirds vote 
shall otherwise direct; Provided, however, that every Commandery 
shall hold a meeting in the month of November of each year for 
the election of officers. 

Ten Companions of a Commandery shall constitute a quorum 
at any meeting at which business is to be transacted. 

The actual fares of the Commander, Vice-Commander, Re- 
corder and the three delegates, or their alternates, to and from the 
place of meeting of a triennial or special Congress of the Order 
shall be paid by the State Commandery which they represent. 

ARTICLE IX. 

ADMISSION OF COMPANIONS. 

Any person above the age of twenty-one years, of good moral 
character and reputation, desirous of becoming a Companion of 
the Order, shall make application in writing, setting forth claims of 
eligibility, and accompanied by proofs of the same, in which it 
must be satisfactorily shown that the service of the participant 
was regularly performed in the United States Navy or on an armed 
vessel in the service of the United States, or sailing under letters 
of marque and reprisal in time of war. 

Said application, bearing the indorsement of two Companions, 
and accompanied by an admission fee of not less than five (35) 

12 



dollars and the dues for the current year, shall be submitted to 
the Committee on Membership, who shall present their report to 
the Council of the Commandery. Upon a favorable ballot by 
that body, the applicant shall thereupon become a Companion of 
the Order. 

The application of the persons claiming the eligibility through 
Naval service, whether rendered personally or by an ancestor, 
which do not appear to come within the specifications of Article 
III of this Constitution must first be referred by the Council of a 
State Commandery to the General Recorder for his decision and 
bear his indorsement, before the applicant can be elected to mem- 
bership in the Order. 

ARTICLE X. 

DIPLOMA OF MEMBERSHIP. 

Every Diploma of Membership shall be authenticated by the 
General Commander and General Recorder, and by the Seal of 
the Order affixed thereto. 

The Diploma shall be of the form following: 

Naval Order of the United States 

GENERAL COMMANDERY. 

Be it known that was 

received as a Companion of the Naval Order of the United States^ 

on the day of Anno Domi^ii 

thousand hundred and , 

and is entitled to all rights and privileges thereto belonging. 

In testimony ivhereof, the Seal of the Order is hereunto affixed, and 

the hand of the General Commander, at the 

day of in the year 

thousand hundred and 

and of the Independence of the United States 

13 



o/ America the a7id oj 

the Order, the 



General Commander. 
Attest: 

General Recorder. 
No 

The numbers on Diplomas of Membership and Insignia shall 
be consecutive, commencing with No. 1, and shall in all cases cor- 
respond; they shall be assigned to Companiojns by the GeneralRe- 
corder in the order in which Companions have joined, or may join, 
the Naval Order, and shall be officially known as Insignia numbers. 

An Insignia number shall never be issued a second time except 
in the case of a re-issue to the original holder thereof. 

ARTICLE XL 

IMPEACHMENT OF COMPANIONS. 

If the conduct or character of any Companion of the Order shall 
be impeached, the accusing Companion shall prefer his charges 
in writing to the Council of the Commandery, who shall notify 
the accused of the same, and if, after due investigation, the Council 
consider the charges to be sustained, whether the accused be 
present or not, he may, by a majority vote, be suspended, or, on 
their recommendation, expelled by a vote of two-thirds of the 
Companions present at a meeting of the Commandery. 

The dismissal or dishonorable discharge from the Military or 
Naval service of the United States, or the conviction in a court of 
justice of any infamous offense of any Companion of the Order, 
shall constitute ipso facto expulsion. 

A Companion who has been expelled shall not be reinstated 
unless it be clearly proved that the charges upon which he was 
convicted were false, in which case he shall comply with the re- 
quirements governing the admission of Companions. 

14 



ARTICLE XII. 

DEATH OF COMPANIONS. 

Upon notice of the death of any Companion, it shall be the duty 
of all Companions to attend the funeral ceremonies, and, if agree- 
able to the family of the deceased, see that the coffin is draped 
with the Union Jack, and the pall supported by Companions of 
the Order, when practicable. 

ARTICLE XIII. 

INSIGNIA. 

The Insignia of the Order shall consist of a gold Cross pattee, 
one and one-quarter inches in diameter; the arms of blue enamel 
edged with gold. 

CROSS. 

Obverse: In the center on a circle of red enamel five-sixteenths 
of an inch in diameter, an eagle, wings extended, resting on an 
anchor surrounded by thirteen stars of five points, all of gold, 
representing in substance the insignia of the Navy of the United 
States; the whole encircled by a band of white enamel one-eighth 
of an inch wide, displaying in letters of gold the motto of the 
Order, "Fidelitas et Patria." 

Reverse: The Cross as above described. In the center on a 
circle of red enamel five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter shall 
appear in gold the insignia of the United States Marine Corps, the 
whole encircled by a band of white enamel one-eighth of an inch 
wide, bearing in letters of gold the legend, "Naval Order of the 
United States." 

The Cross shall be worn on the left breast, suspended by a ribbon 
of heavy ribbed white silk, one and one-half inches wide, with a 
red center three-fourths of an inch wide, the whole an inch and a 
half in displayed length. 

Oflficers of State Commanderies shall wear the Cross suspended 
by the ribbon of the Order around the neck. 

15 



STAR. 

Officers of the General Commandery shall wear on the left 
breast a Star of Silver of two and one-quarter inches diameter, 
on which shall rest the obverse of the Cross, as above described, 
surmounted by a Naval crown of gold and enamel, and the Cross, 
suspended by the ribbon of the Order around the neck. Past 
officers of the General Commandery may wear the Star on the 
left breast. 

When the Insignia is not worn, a rosette one-half of an inch in 
diameter of the prescribed ribbon and pattern may be worn by 
Companions in the upper buttonhole of the left lapel of the coat. 

The Insignia shall never be worn as an article of jewelry, and 
upon the resignation or expulsion of a Companion it shall there- 
upon be returned to the Commandery and the amount paid for 
such Insignia shall be refunded to the said Companion by the 
Treasurer, 

In case of the death of a Companion, the same shall be con- 
sidered an heirloom. In no case shall a duplicate Diploma or 
Insignia be issued except on the recommendation of the Council 
of the Commandery of which the applicant for same is a Compan- 
ion, based on his statement upon honor that the original was either 
lost or destroyed; Provided, that a Companion receiving such du- 
plicate shall pay the same price as for the original. 
ARTICLE XIV. 

SEAL. 

The great Seal of the Order shall be one and seven-eights inches 
in diameter; in the center a capstan on which is displayed the 
American eagle, wings extended, bearing on its breast the National 
shield; at the right an anchor, and at the left cannon and shot; the 
whole encircled by a band one-fourth of an inch wide and thereon 
the legend, "Naval Order of the United States — General Com- 
mandery, 1891." 

Each State Commandery shall have a seal one and three- 
fourths inches in diameter, including the border, which shall bear 
the date of its charter, together with the legend, "Naval Order of 
the United States Commandery." 

16 



AR rici.E XV. 

AM K NOME NTS. 

Amendments to this Constitution may be made at any Congress 
of the Order by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment 
shall have been proposed by a State Commandery, and that notice 
in writing of the proposed amendment in form shall have been sent 
by mail to the General Recorder and to the several State Comman- 
deries not less than sixty days prior to the date of meeting at 
which such proposed amendment is acted upon. 



17 



Naval Order 
OF THE United States 



Gold Insignia, with solid gold ring, bar and ribbon 315^ 

Gold Insignia, with spring ring, necessary for officers who 

wear Insignia with neck ribbon 16.j 

Officer's Plaque, made of gold and silver combined 20j 

Neck Ribbon for officers, with gold hook 2. 

New Gold Spring Ring 1. 

Changing Solid Ring to Spring Ring 1. 

New Ribbon for Insignia lO 

New Ribbon for Insignia and sewing to bar .tS 

Rosettes .25 

Morocco Box for Insignia llOO 

The Bailey, Banks & Biddle Co. is the sole authorized maker 
of the Insignia, but can only deliver it to members on receipt of 
an order from the General Recorder. 

Companions desiring to purchase Insignia are requested to remit 
the price, together with ten cents for registered mail, to the Re- 
corder of their State Commandery; to be forwarded by him to the 
General Recorder. 



18 



CREATHEAD I'RINT PHILA. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




011460 325 9 ^ 



